Arcade Fire Debut New Songs, Charitable Organization at Quebec City Summer Fest

Arcade Fire couldn't have picked a better venue for their debut in Québec City. Performing Monday night to a crowd of 45,000 people fanned out across the historic, atmospheric Plains of Abraham, the beloved Montreal ensemble led by husband-wife duo Win Butler and Régine Chassagne easily topped expectations at the Québec City Summer Festival.

Cast in the hazy glow of a giant screen projecting images of rolling clouds, tangerine sunsets and never-ending highways, Arcade Fire were in fine spirits as they traded off instruments and danced amongst one another in classic jamboree fashion. Taking the first few numbers to test drive material off their forthcoming album, 'The Suburbs,' the lively group dazzled with the punk-ish shaker 'Month of May' and the record's jaunty but strangely mournful title track.

As joyous as the hotly-anticipated event was, it was also underscored by a solemn note: the six-month anniversary of the Haiti earthquake. Butler paid heavy lip service to the event throughout the band's energetic performance, largely forgoing stage banter in order to speak about the devastated nation and the launch of KANPE, the Arcade Fire-backed organization aiming to help put an end to poverty in Haiti.

Shortly before the encore, the frontman asked fans to pledge $5 to KANPE's efforts by texting the word 'STAND' to 30333. Each donation would be matched by the band up to $1 million, he said. The news also came on the heels of a statement released by festival organizers earlier in the day promising 25 cents to KANPE for each person at the show.

As the set went on, the Grammy-nominated ensemble paid fair tribute to their catalogue as well, mixing hits like 'Where the Wild Things Are' anthem 'Wake Up,' 'Rebellion (Lies),' and 'Neighborhood #2 (Laika)' with fresh gems such as 'Modern Man' and the ultra-moody 'Rococo' -- a clear sign that Butler and crew are more than ready to tackle a slew of upcoming concert dates across North America and Europe, starting with Ottawa Bluesfest today.

On a night that was already extraordinary, the charitable aspect of the concert made the experience that much more meaningful, especially, it seems, for the band members themselves, who should be commended for their efforts to improve life in Haiti.